Ground and Crowd Carry Saudi to World Cup 2026, but Harifi Calls It a Fluke

Saudi qualification under scrutiny

Fahd Al-Harifi, the former star of Al-Nasr and the Saudi national team, directed sharp criticism at the Greens’ technical staff led by French coach Hervé Renard, even as the squad sealed a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, calling the qualifying campaign a “failure.”

The Saudi side earned their World Cup 2026 berth in the United States, Canada, and Mexico after a goalless draw with Iraq at Al-Inma Stadium, closing the Asian playoff path to the finals.

They topped the Asian playoff group with four points, edging Iraq on goal difference after an opening 3-2 win over Indonesia and a narrow victory over the Iraqis in the later stage.

Harifi’s frank take on the deal

Harifi stated in a televised interview that it’s good he did not speak immediately after the Iraq match, because those who diagnose football often see things differently than ordinary fans do.

He added that the Saudi spectators who attended the game against Iraq were the true stars of the night and the main reason for qualification, more so than a generation that has not yet earned a major trophy.

He continued: “We are happy to reach the World Cup for the seventh time, but what happened is a failure. We qualified from the playoff by a hair, and only because of home-ground advantage.” He argued that without home-field support, the achievement might not have happened.

He pressed: “The team is facing a deep tactical crisis, and the federation should take other steps. For me, Renard is not convincing; he might be a good psychological motivator, but not enough on the tactical side.”

Harifi added that they faced relatively weaker teams and still qualified by goal difference, implying the need for a different coach and even naturalization of players if necessary to fill gaps in certain positions.

He noted concerns about naturalization but acknowledged that many top teams do so, citing France, Qatar, the UAE, and even Indonesia. In his view, the world has become one big league of professionalism.

“The joy of qualification cannot fully mask the underlying shortcomings; that is not our ambition,” he concluded, while reminding that Asia historically had only a couple of spots and now eight seats exist, highlighting the era of heavy sports investment.

He finished: “I knew we would qualify given the level gap with our rivals, but I also knew we might not score many goals, and a draw could be enough.”

Historic qualification

Historically, this marks Saudi Arabia’s third consecutive World Cup appearance (2018 and 2022 being the prior two) and their seventh overall since the 1994 campaign.

In a broader Arab context, Saudi Arabia now shares the seven-World-Cup appearances record with Tunisia and Morocco, underscoring a record that outstrips Algeria’s five and Egypt’s four appearances. Tunisia’s appearances span 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, and 2026; Morocco’s span 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022, and 2026; Algeria’s five appearances came in 1982, 1986, 2010, 2014, and 2026; Egypt has four (1934, 1990, 2018, 2026).

Saudi Arabia stands out as the only Arab nation in Asia with as many World Cup finals appearances as its African counterparts, a distinction amplified by Qatar’s appearances (as host in 2022 and 2026). The Gulf nation leads Arab Asia in reaching the group stage more consistently than its neighbors.

Kuwait (1982), Iraq (1986), and the UAE (1990) are mentioned among other Arab teams with World Cup history, though not at Saudi Arabia’s level of sustained presence in the finals.

Beyond the numbers, Saudi Arabia remains a standout in Asia for its consistency in advancing to World Cup finals, a feat not easily matched by other Arab nations in the region.

In summary, the article notes a historic achievement underlined by a controversial lens on coaching strategy, with a call for potential changes to keep pace with a modern, professional football world.

Punchline 1: If football were a reality show, the crowd would win every season—spectators 1, strategy 0, and the scoreboard blinks in approval anyway. “Who needs a flawless plan when the fans brought the popcorn?”

Punchline 2: Renard might be great at inspiring the team, but in the grand theatre of tactics, it’s the fans who perform the standing ovation—time to upgrade the playbook or at least give the whiteboard a vacation.